Undead Secrets
by FandomCameo
Summary: When a young Garnet lives with the secret of a prohecy she fears that a halfa will destroy the world. The only problem is that Steven is the only halfa she knows. That is until his cousins come for a visit, and expose themselves as half ghost. Except Pearl and Peridot claim that ghosts do not exist, but rather a race of supersoldier gems from a long abandoned Homeworld eperiment.
1. Chapter 1

A young Garnet silently watched Greg and Rose dance on the lit platform, even as her third, ever hidden eye flicked through countless futures that could come of that single moment. She paused as Pearl complained about what she was seeing.

"It worked." Amethyst grinned.

"I think this one's my favorite." The toddler said. Pearl looked away, crossing her arms.

"I think he's her favorite too." Garnet placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder, causing the shorter gem to look up.

"Pearl," she hesitated, her purple eye twitching. "...please get Amethyst home. It's late." Pearl nodded and picked up the wild girl who changed into an owl to rest on Pearls shoulder instead. The fusion watched them leave and gave a sigh, sitting cross-legged on the sand. She silently took off her glasses and allowed her single consciousness to fade just enough for Sapphire and Ruby to communicate without unfusing.

" _Ruby_?"

 **"It's going to be okay Sapphire. It's only a possibility, right?"**

 _"This was different Ruby, you know this. I don't...I don't think that was my vision. I've never seen that far into the future before. It had never had words like that. I don't think it was a vision Ruby, I think it was a prophecy."_

 **"Do prophecies always come true**?"

" _I don't know_."

 **"Should we tell Rose?** "

"Tell me what?" Came a melodic voice. One red and one blue eye looked up at the pink haired woman, the purple eye remaining closed.

" _Rose_! " Tears began to stream from the blue eye, making the red one widen in surprise. _"I, I can't-"_ The purple eye snapped open. Garnet grabbed her visor and placed it back on her face.

"Rose, I am not ready to be leader." Garnet said softly. Rose knelt holding out her hand to Garnet.

"So you've seen it then?" Rose asked, laughing softly when Garnet looked up in surprise. "Garnet, you are not the first Seer to be on my team."

"Is what she saw what made you change?" Garnet asked. Rose let her hand drop and sat down.

"No, I had been thinking about supporting the miniscule rebellion a few years prior. I was still unsure when she told me of the war that would ensue, but in the end," Rose took Garnet's hand. "The very last thing she saw in her vision was you forming and knowing you would bring the next great vision. When she described you Garnet, the fusion made of love, I was beside myself with happiness."

"You went through all those years of war for me?" Garnet asked, receiving a nod from Rose.

"The humans needed the Crystal Gems, and I love the humans. Perhaps I would have lead the rebellion anyway. Garnet, you have been like a daughter to me, every part of you. What is important now is that the humans are safe, and that you will be here to grow and understand them." Rose gave a small laugh. "You already understand humans better than I do. You understood what Greg wanted when I was just lost."

"You're not afraid? Of leaving us?" Garnet asked. Rose sighed and gazed up at the stars.

"I am not sure. I have been dreading this day, simply because this is the day I find out why you must be left in charge. Please tell me that it isn't Homeworld." Rose pleaded, her magenta eyes becoming haunted.

"No, it is not Homeworld. It is Steven." Garnet replied. Rose blinked a few times.

"I do not know a Steven." Garnet felt her eyes water behind her shades.

"And you unfortunately never will. Steven is born the day you leave us." Garnet drew a small baby with a mess of curls, and a gem for a belly button in the sand. "Steven is your son, half human, half gem. There never has been and never will be anything like Steven." Rose stared at the drawing in the sand, placing her hand against the drawings cheek.

"Steven..." Rose whispered. "Will he be okay?"

"I don't know. Holding Steven was the last thing I saw." Rose fell silent, tears glittering in her eyes. Garnet looked away. "All I know is that Steven will be very important." Garnet opened her mouth to tell Rose about the rest of her vision, which had involved strange creatures from a dimension that the Earth housed, but again her purple eye flickered. She closed her mouth and stood, offering a hand to Rose. Her leader took the hand, standing. "Please tell Greg that his sister misses him, he should try to get in touch with her. We will need a lot of advice on raising a baby."

"So Greg really is the one then." Rose said with a sad smile.

"Steven will also be a fusion of love." Garnet commented. Rose rested her hand on her gem.

"I am not afraid anymore."

 **LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Greg burst through the door, supporting an aching Rose. "Guys! Its happening!" He shouted in alarm. The other three gems rushed out to see the alarm on his face. Garnet stiffened, frozen in place as Greg helped Rose lay on the blankets Pearl had laid out. Pearl called out to Garnet, who shook her head and walked back towards her room.

"Garnet! Where are you going?! GARNET!" Pearl yelled at her retreating form. Garnet let the door slide closed behind her. She placed her hands together, the cold gems touching. Tears streamed from the red and blue eyes, the purple remaining closed. She sobbed, her frame shaking with the pain of knowing the turmoil her team would go through for the next weeks. She fell to her knees as she thought about Steven growing without Rose, and how Greg was going to loose the woman he loved. With a loud cry of pure anguish her form disappeared in a puff of smoke. Two gems clinked onto the ground, unable to hear the pounding on her door, or Pearl's accusations of her cowardice.

Two older beings popped into existence a moment later. Ruby and Sapphire gazed at each other silently. They shared a hug and Garnet formed, also older, and wiser. She created a new pair of shades to cover her face. Rose's impending death had changed her mentality for good, and now she too was changed for good. The door slid open and Garnet emerged, moving to kneel next to Rose.

"Just breathe." Garnet said softly. Pearl and Amethyst stood off to the side, both upset and in awe. Rose smiled through her pain, bringing a hand up to caress Garnet's cheek.

"You will do wonderful." She promised, before grimacing in pain.

"You are doing wonderful." Garnet retorted, holding Rose's hand. "Three deep breaths, then push." Her purple eye blinked in rapid succession. "Greg camera. Now." Greg fumbled through his backpack, pulling out the camera. "Rose, once Steven is born I don't want you take your eyes off of him for even a second."

"Garnet, what-"

"Push." Garnet instructed, as she moved between Rose's legs. The next moment Rose gasped in surprise as Garnet handed her Steven. Greg took several pictures, wanting to capture the moment just right. Pearl let out a yelp of alarm as Rose's gem began to glow brightly and sink into her body. Rose did not take her eyes off of Steven, pushing the small curls he had away from his face. A pink light passed through the still intact umbilical cord, and the gem began to reform on Steven.

"Believe in Steven." She told them, right before her physical form faded away, leaving Garnet to catch Steven. Garnet cradled Steven to her chest.

"We will." Garnet whispered as Pearl and Amethyst began to cry in earnest, clinging to each other so tightly it looked painful. Garnet handed Greg his son, then flipped backwards to catch her companions gems before they hit the ground. She gently placed both on the floor and moved just as the two reformed, older, yet the age difference between the three of them seemed to have been preserved.

"Garnet, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier." Pearl said. Garnet held up a hand.

"Your actions were understandable, I only hope you will act responsibly in the future with the maturity you have gained as a consequence of the events that have occurred today." Pearl nodded. Garnet turned to Amethyst. "Do not feel pressured or intimidated to alter your age on your own, it will not work. Our bodies' ages reflect our unconscious minds. You are fine just the way you are." Amethyst blushed and nodded.

"Garnet?" Greg asked. She turned to face him. "Do you think you can develop the pictures for me?" Garnet nodded and took the camera from him. Greg looked down at his son. "Alright, let's go home Steven."

 **LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Garnet sat in her room, reading the latest letter Greg had received from his sister Maddie. She scanned it quickly. So far, Greg had heeded her warning about Maddie learning what Steven was and keeping the two lives separate. There was nothing in the letter that showed the battle ready woman that she had seen in her vision. Maddie merely expressed her concern of finally finding out that Greg lived with Steven in his van. She folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. She decided to tell Greg that they would build a house around the temple, he would assume she had used her future vision. She heard the van rumbling in the distance and left her room. Pearl and Amethyst were already down at the beach greeting Greg and Steven. Garnet joined them a second later. Her mind was elsewhere until Greg mentioned that there was something Steven wanted to show them.

The little boy took a deep breath, and Garnet prepared herself for the worst. A barely noticeable tremor passed through her as she recalled the soul wrenching wail she had heard in her vision. Steven however, released no such wail, and began to play his ukulele.

"If you're evil and you're on the rise, you can count on the four of us taking you down. Because we're good and evil never beats us, we'll win the fight and then go out for pizzas. We...are the Crystal Gems. We'll always save the day, and if you think we can't, we'll always find a way." Garnet began to clap in time to the beat, encouraging the boy. "That's why the people of this world...believe in! Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. AND STEVEN!" The boy finished standing. She allowed Pearl and Amethyst to exclaim over Steven, while she took Greg aside.

"Steven is growing older now. It might be best if we began construction of a home for him here at the temple."

She saw Greg look over at his son. "You are of course welcome to stay as well."

"No, I'd only get in the way. Steven is going to be great one day, he doesn't need his old dad slowing him down." Greg said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Greg, do not underestimate the influence you have on Steven's life. I understand your reluctance to live with us, and it is understandable. The last thing Steven needs is to hear people speak ill of his family. We will begin construction as soon as possible."

"Right..." Greg walked over to the group. Garnet smiled a bit as Steven tripped over his shirt.

"It cannot be you Steven, you are much too precious." Steven waved at her. She waved back. "But if you are not the halfa, who is?"

 **LINEBREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

"Amethyst, Pearl, fuse now!" Garnet shouted over the roar of the approaching ship. The two gems looked at each other hesitantly. Garnet lifted a rock and launched it at the ship. "What are you waiting for?" The reprimand sent Amethyst and Pearl into motion. With a flash of light Opal stood on the beach. "Fire!" She drew her bow and sent out several arrows towards the ship, all of which were deflected. Garnet gave a weary sigh. "At least Steven is safe."

"Hey guys!" Steven called out. Opal turned, her form shimmering before she unfused. Garnet turned in alarm.

"Steven!" Garnet shouted.

"You came back!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"What are you doing?! Get out of here!" Pearl said in a panic.

"But-" Steven began looking lost. Garnet took a quick glance at the ship. Perhaps Steven was the halfa meant to destroy the world. Maybe the world didn't refer to Earth, but rather homeworld. She made a decision.

"It's too late! Just stay behind us!" Garnet yelled as the ship began to touch down. She allowed her third eye to travel the pathways as Peridot and Jasper spoke to each other. She frowned when each path suddenly cut off after seeing a strange device. She refocused her attention on the duo.

"Looks like another waste of my time..." The orange gem said with a sigh. She suddenly glared and grabbed behind her. "Hey, get over here!" From behind her she pulled Lapis forward. The blue gem yanked her arm free of Jasper's grasp.

"Lapis!" Steven cried. Lapis gave him a glance before looking down in shame.

"This is their base?" Jasper asked with a scoff.

"Yes..."

"You need to leave immediately!" Garnet warned. Steven was not ready to take on a threat this big.

"Yeah, step off!"; Amethyst agreed.

"This is not a Gem-controlled planet!" Pearl stated, yielding her weapon. Garnet looked for any future where she could get her friends to safety, but there were none. Just the device over and over. Garnet feared the worst regarding her fate.

"And neither of you saw Rose Quartz? Oh, what a shame. I'd hoped to meet her. I was looking forward to beating her into the ground!" Jasper taunted. Garnet felt a righteous fury ignite within her. She heard Steven make a small noise behind her. "But this is all that's left of her army? Some lost, defective Pearl," Pearl took a startled step back. ",a puny overcooked runt," Amethyst glowered. Garnet stared at Jasper, not willing to fall for her mind games, whatever she might say about her. ", and this shameless display?" Jasper glanced at Steven. "What is that?" Garnet prepared her weapons, and saw her teammates do the same.

"It calls itself the Steven." Peridot informed, giving no indication of whether she wished the boy harm or not.

"He's just a human! He isn't a threat at all! He's not one of them!" Lapis cried out desperately.

"I know what a human is. You don't need me for this. Just blast them with the ship." Jasper said in irritation, walking towards the ship.

"Ugh, fine" Peridot agreed..

"Steven! Get out of here!" Garnet shouted. She had been wrong, very wrong. Steven was not ready. Steven was important. Steven was her family, and he needed to be safe.

"No!" Steven shouted back, tears forming in his eyes. Garnet was in turmoil.

"I won't let you risk your life!" Garnet responded. A vision was not going to stop her from protecting Steven.

"But this is my home! And you're all my family!" Steven declared. His gemstone began to shine. Garnet felt her eyes widen. At the moment Steven looked more powerful than ever.

"Firing." Peridot said in a bored tone, which made Garnet wonder if she had hoped Steven would escape in the extended time it took her to complete her task. The beam shot out of the ship's finger heading straight towards the three.

"I- I'm a Crystal Gem too!" Steven shouted, leaping in front of them. The biggest shield that Steven had ever conjured up appeared, glittering pink with his mother's- no his- insignia in the center. The blast hit the shield and was stopped in its tracks. Jasper turned in shock.

"That shield, that symbol!" Steven let the shield fall and collapsed to the ground. Garnet was furious. The water gem had betrayed Steven. Steven who had been her friend, who had freed her, allowed her to get back to Homeworld, and this was how she repaid him. Peridot who was so indifferent to everything, had actually seemed to be touched by Steven when they had conversed in the Kindergarten, yet now she did nothing but follow orders, not willing to stand up for Steven. Jasper she vowed to take on herself. No one spread such slander to the woman she had seen as a mother. She saw Peridot sweep a finger across her screen and pushed Steven out of the way, and unfortunately right into Jasper's sight.

"Rose why do you look like that? Why are you so weak?" Garnet clenched the sand between her hands. Steven was not weak. Rose was gone, but at the same time, was a part of Steven. "Yellow Diamond needs to see this thing." Garnet launched herself at Jasper with an angry yell. Jasper smirked. "Good."

Jasper summoned her weapon and the two clashed with a tremendous force. Garnet quickly recovered from being forced back, her purple eye flickering in a frenzy. She cursed mentally, something she would never do aloud.

"Steven run!" She rushed towards Jasper again, not slowing even as she saw the device that ended all her visions. Jasper struck her right in the chest. She felt herself come undone, and as she fell she gave a final look to Steven.

 **LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Sapphire awoke alone in a cell, not flinching as she noticed Jasper right outside the barrier.

"Well it's about time!" Jasper complained. Sapphire gave a huff of indifference. "Listen, I'm willing to cut you a deal. I've been looking for a Sapphire to add to my team, all you gotta do is tell me everything you know about the Steven."

"He loves cookie cat ice cream, can't pronounce the word bologna correctly, and thinks dreaming is like going to the movies for free." Sapphire told the orange gem with a smirk. Jasper slammed her fist against the wall.

"Do not make a mockery of me!" She roared. Sapphire floated up so she was at the same height as Jasper.

"Steven will bring the destruction of your world one day. Perhaps you are the one who should be pleading to be on my team."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jasper growled, though Sapphire did notice the spark of fear in her eyes.

"Beware the phantom that hides in the shadows. Laughing with glee as you fall to the gallows. Holding a power you cannot hope to defeat, this is a warning I will not repeat. Hiding amongst you, half human half not. The halfa will watch as your world starts to rot. This will bring forth the era of the dead. Where ghosts will rule your home instead. Beware the phantom who hides in the shadows, Beware because of what it knows." Sapphire recited from memory. "Steven is the son of Rose Quartz, half of her still lives on as half of him. A phantom you could say."

"You are lying!" Jasper responded.

"Are you afraid Jasper? Afraid of all the gems you have destroyed over the years coming back to destroy you? Steven can almost heal the corrupted gems your armies left behind. What will you do once he can?"

"The Steven is loose." Peridot announced, causing Jasper to turn quickly.

"What?! How?!"

"I do not know. I went to check up on him, and his cell was empty." Peridot reported, though she was quickly writing on one of her holoscreens. Sapphire could just barely make out the words of the prophecy.

"You didn't open the cell did you?" Jasper growled. Sapphire smiled to herself. Peridot looked offended.

"Of course not! I would not fall for such tricks." Jasper turned back to Sapphire.

"Are you afraid now Jasper?"

 **LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK**

"We have a problem." Garnet told her teammates, while Steven made himself lunch in the background.

"What is it G?" Amethyst asked as she hopped up onto the counter. Pearl took a seat on one of the stools.

"Greg's family is coming to visit."

"Whaa? Really!" Steven exclaimed in excitement. Garnet nodded. Pearl shook her head.

"Oh no, this is no good at all. What are we going to do about Peridot?" Garnet held up a sign and then went and placed it on the door. "I suppose that could work...what about us?"

"Pearl, mine and your color schemes makes us appear the most human out of the three of us. Come up with a way to hide your gem and you will pass for Steven's tutor." Pearl nodded, turning away to project a miniature version of herself with different styles. "Amethyst you act the most human out of the three of us, but unfortunately-"

"I'm purple." Amethyst said deadpan. Garnet nodded.

"Makeovers!" Steven shouted, placing his hands on the table. "I can ask Connie!" Garnet pursed her lips as she thought about it. Steven bounced on his toes, his grin growing wider with each second.

"Okay."

"Aw yeah!" Amethyst cheered, hugging Steven. Garnet hid her smile.

"I would recommend calling now, they will be arriving tonight." Steven left the kitchen to call Connie, who informed him that she had already been on her way over and was at the boardwalk.

"Come on Amethyst, lets go!"

"Steven, wait." Garnet said. She pulled a photo out of one of her gems. Steven looked down at the photo before hugging Garnet. "Amethyst has to match that color. No one but you can see that alright?" Steven nodded and dragged Amethyst away.

"What did you give him?" Pearl asked. Garnet ignored her in favor of walking to the bathroom door.

"Peridot listen up!" She called through the door. "There will be a lot more people here the next few days, all of them taller than you. If you come out of that bathroom, I will not hesitate to lock you in a dog crate. If you hurt anyone, I will not hesitate to crush your gem and dismiss you as a infestation. Understood?"

"Whatever, you clod." Garnet clenched her fist.

"Is this acceptable Garnet?" Pearl asked. She was now dressed in light yellow capri pants, with her normal blue shirt, only now it was tucked in. Her hair style was no longer swept back, but now fell to her shoulders, bangs covering her gem. Garnet nodded and adjusted her clothing as well. She wore form fitting jeans, and a shirt similar to Steven's except it had no sleeves. Pearl started to laugh. "You look like Steven." Garnet grinned.

"Nah. I look cooler." She said, adding a black leather jacket, and fingerless gloves to hide her gems. "Help me build a temporary wall to hide the temple. We will pretend it is our quarters." Pearl nodded and began to make a plan. Garnet gave a final glance at the bathroom door. "Here goes nothing."

 **Just a quick preview . I wrote the first six chapters of this story before gem drill came out so I had to go back and make a few edits. Vote on my poll or review if you would like me to continue.**


	2. Family Matters

**Chapter: Family Matters**

 **A/N**

 **The Fentons plus two arrive. Plus, tiny Peridot!**

Greg's van rumbled onto the beach around six, Steven, Greg and Amethyst emerging. The disguised Amethyst's skin was no longer purple, but rather the pale peach that Rose had appeared. Steven scampered up the steps, carrying a grocery bag, while Amethyst followed carrying the remaining twenty. There was a small beep as Greg locked his van and walked upstairs, wearing a new outfit. Pearl paled as she watched Steven and Amethyst unload all the bags.

"I won't need to eat, will I?" She asked Garnet. Out of all the things humans did, eating was the vilest thing she had ever encountered.

"No, but make it appear as if you are." Garnet reassured, sorting through the groceries.

"Amethyst please sit next to me." Pearl pleaded. Amethyst laughed, but agreed.

"Alright, my sister is coming with her husband, three kids and her son's two best friends. Jack can eat for three men. So can the youngest daughter. Oh and one is a vegetarian." Greg told them. The three gems stared at him.

"Woah, we're gonna need to make a lot of food." Steven commented.

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Danny grimaced as his father took another sharp turn. They had been on the road for two days and he was starting to get sick of fast-food. Jazz sat to his left, reading a pamphlet about Beach City, circling certain things with her red pen. Dani had fallen asleep leaning against him. Jack took another sharp turn and he was amazed Dani didn't wake up. Sam and Tucker sat in the seats behind them, using the time to update the Ghost Zone data base.

"We're almost there kids. Remember what I told you." Maddie said from the front.

"Uhh, be nice?" Danny said uncertainly. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"Steven has been homeschooled his whole life, so his social skills may not be up to par. Do not mention his mother, unless he brings it up first. Steven may or may not have some type of nanny, it is not Greg's new girlfriend. Greg built the house himself so don't comment if something is wrong. Do not ask Uncle Greg to sing or else we'll be there all night." Jazz recited. Danny frowned. A lot of those things made it seem like his mother expected her brother to be doing poorly. Danny looked out of the window as they began to drive on the sand, watching the sun start to set.

"Get a load of that statue!" Jack called out as they pulled up next to Greg's van. Danny leaned forward to get a look at the double faced goddess that was carved into the mountain side. He was captivated by it, and also a bit afraid. He shook Dani awake, causing her to punch him in the stomach.

"Sorry!" She apologized as he rubbed his stomach. They all exited the car, staring in awe at the house. Danny felt a small tingle in his chest, much like his ghost sense, yet no ice breath came out. Dani tugged at his sleeve, meaning she had probably sensed something too. The sound of laughter came from the distance, drawing Danny's attention.

"Do you think the arena will mind that we took these without asking?" A young boy said. The older teen next to him shrugged.

"We'll just have to bring them back before they open." The boy nodded and then noticed the people standing on the beach.

"You're here!" He yelled, dropping the one chair he was carrying to run over to them. He managed to trip and land on his face which made the teen laugh louder. She set down the pile of seven chairs she was carrying and helped him up. Maddie smiled and crouched to be eye level with the boy.

"You must be Steven! I'm your dad's sister, Maddie." She said extending a hand. Steven smiled at her and gave her a hug, which she warmly returned. "We will save the rest of the introductions until we're inside." Steven nodded with a small humph of approval before running back to pick up his chair. Danny walked over to the teen.

"I can take those if you want." he offered. Amethyst shrugged and handed them over, thinking it would be funny to see the boy not be able to lift as much as her. Her mouth hung open a little when he carried them all without any trouble. A small girl about the same age as Steven jumped up and down and challenged Steven to a race upstairs. Amethyst watched them go with curious eyes.

Greg stood from the barstool once his sister entered, greeting her with a hug. He gave a chuckle as his son asked him if it was time to eat yet. "Steven we have to introduce everyone first."

"Oh yeah" He said sheepishly. Maddie giggled.

"Well, I am Maddie, Greg's older sister. This is my husband Jack," the large man in an orange jumpsuit waved. "My daughter Jazz," the oldest female gave a small nod before looking around. "My son Danny." Garnet frowned once she looked at Danny, but the boy did not notice. "His friends Sam and Tucker." the goth elbowed the boy next to her so he would look up from his device. "And my youngest, Dani, with an I."

"I am Garnet, Steven's nanny."

"You can call me Pearl; I oversee Steven's learning." Pearl said, smoothing out her shirt nervously.

"Name's Amethyst. I'm Steven's aunt." she said, reaching for some chips only to have Pearl slap her hand away.

"What unusual names." Maddie commented.

"Two of yours have the same one." Garnet defended. Greg laughed nervously.

"Who's hungry!" he announced. Steven moved to set up the chairs, Jazz helping him.

"I made arrangement so that the adults will sit at the counter, and rest can sit at the fold out table." Garnet told them. She set out several plates of fish on both tables, setting a special dish in front of Sam. "I hope this dish is agreeable to your beliefs Samantha."

"Oh, yes thank you, but it's just Sam." Garnet gave a small nod. The children served themselves, and sat together with a heavy awkwardness in the air. Steven tapped a small beat on the table, seemingly struggling to keep his mouth closed.

"Where do you guys live?" he blurted out. "I saw your van outside; do you live in that? I used to live in a van, but then we had this house built, just for me."

"We live in a house too, that's just the RV. It took us two days to get here so we had to sleep in it." Dani answered, giving herself seconds. "Do you watch Crying Breakfast Friends?"

"Yeah! It's my favorite!" Steven responded. Danny turned to Sam and Tuck, talking lowly.

"I got this weird feeling once we got here, and it seems to be coming from Steven's caretakers." He whispered. Tucker glanced out of the corner of his eye to the three women. Sam discreetly looked at her watch which in reality was a ghost tracker, but nothing appeared.

"Nothing. Maybe you're just nervous." Sam said with a shrug. Danny frowned but slouched in his seat and continued to eat. There was a thump at the door.

"Ah!" Steven jumped out of his seat and stood in front of the door. "Heh, heh. I uh, saw a spider." There was a small growl from behind Steven, and Danny was instantly on his feet.

"Steven, it seems Lion wants to come in." Garnet said, despite Amethyst miming her to not mention it.

"You named your pet, Lion?" Dani asked.

"Well, yeah, that's what he is. I mean a cat! A really big cat!" He proclaimed, a large nervous smile on his face. Garnet turned to Greg.

"Is it not normal for children to have lions as companions?"

"You are keeping a lion as a pet! That majestic animal should be in the wild where he belongs!" Sam exclaimed.

"Steven is too young to have responsibility over a lion." Jazz added.

"Greg, who exactly did you get to raise your son?" Maddie asked incredulously.

"Excuse you! I will have you know we are excellent guardians to Steven!" Pearl retorted.

"EVERYBODY STOP!" Steven yelled. He stepped aside and let Lion in, who grabbed Steven by the shirt and brought him upstairs. "Lion does whatever he wants, he's my friend and he loves me." Lion gave a small noise and pulled Steven towards his mane. "Oh no, not now Lion. Later." Lion tried again. "No, later."

"That lion is pink." Tucker told Danny in a loud whisper.

"Yes, he is one of a kind, and he only listens to Steven." Pearl told them.

"He doesn't even do that all the time." Amethyst added.

"Let me assure you I will not ever let anything that can harm Steven near him, that includes any of you." Garnet said, casually walking over to the couch. Lion gave Steven a lick on the face, causing the boy to fall right into her arms. "Now, if the children are done eating, I have left a stack of movies for them to watch in Steven's bedroom."

"Toss me up! Toss me up!" Steven chanted. Garnet smiled widely.

"Alright, you asked for it." She teased, tossing him up to his bed from downstairs. Steven laughed as he bounced slightly on his bed.

"Can you toss me too?" Dani asked.

"Yeah! Toss her up!" Garnet smirked as swiftly picked up Dani from the floor, spinning before launching her up to the bed. Maddie covered her mouth with a hand. Pearl noticed this and moved to reassure her.

"It is perfectly safe. She has done it hundreds of times with Steven." Maddie nodded, still feeling a bit worried. Amethyst decided to test a theory she had about Danny.

"Hey Danny! I dare you to jump with me from the couch to Steven's room." she said, standing up from her seat. Danny internally smirked, knowing he would make it. He stood next to her. "Go!" Both teens ran towards the couch, jumping on it, and then up. Danny used a bit of his ghost powers and Amethyst a bit of her gem powers to soar onto the upper level. Sam looked up at them.

"I'm taking the stairs."

"Same." Tucker added, the duo heading up the normal way.

"Now, Steven doesn't have a set time for schooling, which is why I live with him. I feel that mandatory learning is counterproductive to a child's wellbeing. If a child wants to learn, he will seek out knowledge. This way Steven learns the things he feels are necessary, once he experiences problems in real life. It avoids all the filler that he may never use." Pearl explained to Maddie, peaking Jazz's interest. The orange haired teen looked over.

"I was always curious about that method of teaching. Does it work?" Jazz asked.

"Oh of course! Steven is such a smart boy. He could play ukulele by age 5, but that was Greg, not me. His vocabulary can be above those for his age when he chooses to use it. Can name the constellations, and has a basic understanding of engineering, though he is still a bit too clumsy to actually build anything." She said with a small laugh, remembering his boxcar spaceship.

"But he's only thirteen. How can he be at understanding engineering concepts?"

"He didn't learn the capital of all the states. Let's hope the fate of the world doesn't rely on that one day." Garnet answered, with a smirk on her lips.

"Oh but enough about us, what do you two do for a living?" Pearl asked Maddie.

"Well currently we are looking for alternative-"

"GHOSTS!" Jack said over his wife. Garnet froze, both Ruby and Sapphire gasping within her.

"I need to go, right now, immediately." She hopped over the counter and through the door that led to the hidden temple.

"Dad, you promised you wouldn't." Jazz said with a groan.

"Oh, uhm, Garnet is superstitious. She doesn't think you're crazy. Er, probably." Greg covered, wondering why Garnet had suddenly left.

"I am interested in hearing more about these ghosts." Pearl said innocently. Jack beamed at her, making her reconsider her decision.

"Finally someone who will listen to me blather on about ghosts!" Jack announced. There was a collective groan from Danny and his friends. "Ghosts, contrary to popular belief, are not the souls of the deceased. They are their own species, housed in a dimension parallel to ours. Every ghost has an obsession, some kind of object, or desire that they relentlessly pursue. That is to say each ghost has a set purpose. They are made to do their job, and nothing else." Pearl tried to hide her discomfort, knowing that she herself had gone against her intended purpose. Jack continued, oblivious to her conflict. "The ghosts have a core that is like their heart. It constantly produces ectoenergy to maintain a certain form. Maddie and I have only seen about three ghost cores though, so that's not a fact yet."

"That is true. The core seems to be made of two elements. The hard outer shell of ectouranium and something hidden within. We have no idea what it is, solid ectouranium is impossible to break, harder than diamonds. None of the ghosts know either. Most claim they forgot, since the same ghosts have been around for thousands of years. New ones are rarely made, but if we ever catch one, like Phantom, we will figure it out."

"Yeah, even if we gotta rip a ghost apart, molecule by molecule!" Jack boasted, making a tearing motion with his hands. Pearl covered her mouth.

"Wouldn't that hurt them?" Maddie made a dismissive motion with her hand.

"Ghosts don't have emotions like humans do. They are pure instinct, essentially robots blindly following their purpose." Maddie explained. Pearl clutched the glass in her hand tightly. "Plus the benefits outweigh the small chance that a ghost suffers. While their dimension does have an abundance of ectoenergy to harvest, the concentrated form that we can tear away from a ghost is much more powerful and lasts longer. We wouldn't have our daughter Dani without that ectoplasmic energy."

"Are you suggesting that this...energy...can heal disease?" Pearl asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure about that, but," Maddie leaned forward to whisper to Pearl. "Dani is a clone." Upstairs Amethyst saw Dani and her brother stiffen. "An old research partner of ours was able to create a cloning chamber run on ectoplasmic energy. He attempted to clone my son, but the ectoenergy randomized a few elements. We try not to mention it."

"A clone..." Pearl said, her gaze moving towards the portrait of Rose. Greg coughed awkwardly, bringing the attention back to himself.

"It's getting pretty late." He mentioned, feeling completely left out. Maddie gave a quick glance to her watch.

"You're right. Come on kids, we should let Steven get to sleep." Garnet chose this moment to reappear.

"I would not stay out in the open at night. It would be best if you take your van to Greg's carwash." Maddie looked over at Greg.

"There's a lot of wildlife. Dangerous, at night, and also the ocean." Greg chuckled nervously rubbing the back of his neck. Dani leaned over the edge to look at Maddie.

"Mom, can't we stay until this movie is over?" she pleaded. Steven joined her.

"Please Aunt Maddie, it's almost over, I promise." Maddie placed her hands on her hips thinking about it.

"Steven, do not forget the importance of your dreams." Garnet said. She turned to Maddie. "Your children are exhausted; they will stay here tonight." Pearl rushed over to her side.

"You won't have to worry about a thing! We will take good care of them. This way you can spend more time with Greg. I'm sure his carwash could benefit from your, uh, genius." Jack wrapped an arm around his wife.

"Sounds good to me! Whaddaya say Mads?" Maddie sighed and nodded. Greg led the couple out, Jazz following.

"I'll grab our bags before they leave." Danny told them, rushing out the door. Garnet gave a nod to Pearl, knowing she could take care of the rest with Amethyst's help.

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Garnet sat on the steps of the warp pad, waiting for her companions to return. A lot had happened that night, and she was sure they would have things to report. Amethyst came through first, rapidly shapeshifting several times.

"Ugh, finally." She commented, looking down at her purple skin. "That stuff itches like crazy." Pearl entered with a perplexed look on her face.

"I am not an expert in situations such as these, but I feel as if this was even worse than the dinner with Connie and her family." Garnet nodded in agreement.

"Pearl please project each guest so that we may evaluate them." Pearl nodded and decided to go youngest to oldest. A projection of Dani stood in front of the three.

"Greg's sister told me that she is a clone of her son. That is not normal for humans. That kind of technology is still years away..." Pearl informed them. "She behaves like a normal thirteen-year-old child, if we are comparing her to Steven. The only strange thing I noticed is how much she can consume."

"I see no threat." Garnet declared. Pearl nodded and switched to Danny.

"He is not normal." Amethyst said warily, taking a step away from the hologram, before Pearl could begin her evaluation. Garnet turned her attention to the purple gem. "He did two things that I had to use my gem energy to do. Lifting the chairs, and jumping to Steven's room."

"I thought it was strange that you asked him to do that." Pearl commented.

"They heard Greg's sister whispering, they didn't like what she was saying."

"That's impossible." Pearl stated, flicking her wrist. "it must have been the movie." Amethyst glared.

"Look I know what I saw!"

"Enough you two. What we have so far is that he has super strength and hearing. I cannot see any future with him in it." Her companions looked at her.

"What does that mean?" Pearl asked in a worried tone.

"I do not know." Garnet admitted. "It is as if he does not exist within our timeline."

"I'll keep an eye on him." Amethyst decided.

"You?! Amethyst this is important you can't just decide-"

"Approved." Garnet interrupted. Pearl looked at her aghast. "Amethyst is as much a part of this team as you Pearl. You have to stop treating her like the little girl she used to be." A blue hue appeared on Pearl's face. She changed the hologram to Sam without another word.

"Irrelevant." Pearl switched it to Tucker. "Irrelevant." Garnet dismissed again.

"But why?" Amethyst asked. Garnet's third eye flickered for a few seconds before she removed her shades to look at her teammates. Amethyst took a step closer to Pearl, worried for her leader. Garnet rarely took off her visor in front of them. The last time she had it was to explain to them that Rose would not survive her pregnancy. Pearl placed a hand on Amethyst's shoulder in anticipation, not sure if she was ready for whatever news Garnet had. In the end however she merely sighed and replaced her visor.

"I need you to go solely on the trust you have in me." Garnet told them, bowing her head. Amethyst looked up at Pearl, with questioning eyes. The hand on her shoulder tightened.

"You aren't Rose, Garnet." She said tersely. "What are you keeping from us?"

"I am aware that I am not Rose." Garnet bit back, causing Pearl to take a step away from her. Garnet stood, towering over Pearl. "Do not think that I missed the hopeful tone in your voice when you learned of the clone? Rose is never coming back and- and-" Garnet made a noise of frustration, hugging herself.

"Garnet I'm sorry!" Pearl aid, moving towards her. Garnet pulled away.

"You constantly question your own team Pearl. Me, Amethyst, even Steven. Things are different now and they will continue to change. We have an enemy in our bathroom! The future is more uncertain now than it has ever been. The Crystal Gems need to remain strong and most of all united. However, the Crystal Gems, no longer only include the three of us and Steven. Connie is a part of this team. Greg is a part of this team. Lion is a part of this team." Garnet paused. "I do not want us fighting." Garnet opened her arms and the other two gems rushed forward to be enveloped in a hug. _'There will be far too much fighting in the future'_ She thought.

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Danny awoke to the smell of pancakes in the air. He sat up on the couch and stretched, wearily rubbing his face. The strange tingle went up his spine again, and he was instantly alert. Tucker still lay sprawled on the other end of the sofa, no noise from the bedroom upstairs and only two of the three caretakers in the kitchen. He got up and walked over to the bathroom, hand on the handle before noticing the sign.

"Everything broken?" He questioned as he read it aloud.

"That's what it says." Garnet answered, flipping a pancake. Danny sighed and walked over to the counter.

"Are any stores open yet?"

"Nope, you gotta go in the ocean dude." Danny let his head hit the counter.

"Never mind." He lifted it a moment later. "Oh, did you need any help or..."

"Please wake the others, I have been told my method can be quite...intimidating." Danny nodded, wondering what she could mean by that. He turned, looking at everyone sleeping, noticing Dani was the furthest from the kitchen.

"Dani! Time for breakfast!" He shouted. Dani sat up immediately, struggling to get the covers off, uncovering Sam and Steven at the same time. The two groaned, reaching for the blanket but it was wrapped around Dani's foot as she ran past them. She jumped down from the ledge, landing on the sofa with a thump. She tried to stand but tripped on the blanket, grabbing Tucker for support and dragging them both to the ground. "You okay?" Dani lifted her arm to give a thumbs up. There was a rattling outside, followed by a low hum. Everyone turned to look at the door as the humming grew louder.

"Amethyst." Garnet said quickly. Danny saw the girl nod and run out of the room. "Pancakes everyone!" Garnet called out, drawing the sleepy children's attention to her. Dani scrambled for a seat next to Danny. Danny grinned and ruffled her out of control hair. Garnet caught herself smiling and quickly schooled her features. The others finally dragged themselves to their seats. Garnet served all of them, shooing away Lion when he tried to enter the kitchen. There was a loud boom from outside. Amethyst entered the tip of her hair on fire. She seemed to notice and quickly stomped it out.

"The dryer broke." She said as way of explanation, taking a seat. Danny looked over at Sam, who returned his suspicious look.

"Garnet, can I take everyone to the boardwalk?" Steven asked. Danny saw a soft smile grace Garnet's lips.

"Of course." Danny wondered why she was so stoic with everyone except Steven. He turned to look at Dani, who had chewed a face out of her pancake and was showing Steven. Steven laughed and copied her, the two of them wearing pancakes on their face. He smiled, and decided perhaps Garnet's behavior wasn't all that odd. Danny heard his phone vibrate and walked back over to the couch to grab it. The lock screen showed that it was a message from Tucker. He looked up at his friend who wore a frown. Danny unlocked his phone and felt his stomach drop. Only two words. **[No records.]** Danny locked his phone.

"Dani, we'll never get to the boardwalk if you keep stuffing your face." Danny joked, but there was an undercurrent of tension in his voice. Dani swallowed and then stuck out her tongue. She thanked Garnet and hopped to the floor. Each of them took a turn changing behind the sheet that Steven had hung up last night. Dani had asked Steven to borrow one of his shirts so they could match. Danny felt a strange sensation in his stomach, used to seeing Dani in her newer outfit that matched his.

"Danny, take a picture of us!" She said, standing next to her cousin who was just a few inches shorter. She rested her arm on his shoulder and threw up a peace sign. Danny took the picture and handed the phone over for her to see. Steven's phone started to ring and he quickly picked up.

"Hi Connie...yeah, we're going there right now...Okay see you soon!" Steven stuffed his phone into his cheeseburger backpack. "Ready guys?"

"Yeah, but can we go somewhere with a bathroom first?" Tucker asked.

"The ocean is nearby." Amethyst said. Steven placed his hands in his hips.

"Amethyst, stop making people go to the bathroom in the ocean." Amethyst held up a hand in a placating manner.

"So are we going or what?" Dani asked, heading out the door. Steven immediately followed. Danny gave another glance at his suitcase before grabbing his own backpack and following with his friends. Steven led them to a store called the Big Donut, pressing his face against the glass until an irritated teenager opened the door.

"Jeez Steven, do you always have to be our first costumer? It's like you have no life." He grumbled. Dani glared at the boy.

"Hey! You can't talk to him like that!"

"No, it's fine. Lars is just cranky in the mornings...and afternoons." Lars sneered at them before turning to Steven.

"What are you starting some sort of loser club? Who are these people anyway, I've never seen them before?" Lars said raising an eyebrow.

"These are my cousins and their friends. Can we use your bathroom?" Steven asked.

"We don't have a public bathroom."

"I meant the one in the back." Lars tugged at his sleeves as he pretended to think about it.

"I don't know if the manager would allow that."

"Isn't Sadie the manager?" Steven asked in confusion. The backdoor opened and Sadie came through holding a box of napkins. "Sadie can we use your bathroom? Mine is broken."

"Sure Steven." Lars rolled his eyes and moved out of the way. The group filed into the store, Dani being the first to use the bathroom. Steven walked behind the counter and started to help Sadie with the napkins, for which she smiled gratefully. Lars started to make the coffee, glancing at Danny every few moments.

"Steven, is your family, like you or are they normal." Sam gave a frown, but Steven didn't seem disturbed by the question.

"There's only one me Lars."

"Why would you ask him a question like that? Just because it seems he doesn't exactly follow the social regulations set in place for a boy his age in a town like this? Being unique is not weird!" Sam told Lars.

"I'm sure Lars did not mean it that way. He is not so great with words." Sadie said. "He will never admit it but he loves Steven just as much as I do." Steven smashed his own face leaning his elbows in the counter.

"Aw, you love me?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. Lars blushed and looked away.

"Yeh right loser." Steven gave a laugh. Dani exited the bathroom, and Sam entered. She looked around at all the donuts that had just been placed out. She noticed the scar on Sadie's face and asked her about it. Danny paled and quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"I am so sorry about that. With manners like that you can swear she was born yesterday." He gritted out, giving Dani a small glare. Sadie gave a nervous laugh.

"Oh it's fine. It's actually really exciting. Steven, Lars and I were trapped on an island-"

"More like you hid the way home." Lars muttered under his breath.

"I can fire you now you know." Sadie retorted. Lars rolled his eyes and went back to work.

"And there was a bear!" Steven mentioned, raising his arms above his head and gnashing his teeth. Sadie gave him a sidelong glance.

"Yeah a bear. I had to save that idiot from getting eaten." She said, pointing her thumb at Lars. Lars turned and crossed his arms.

"I had it under control."

"Screaming like a little girl does not count as having it under control." Tucker started to laugh but abruptly stopped when Lars glared at him. He quickly retreated to the bathroom as soon as Sam exited.

"I once got in a fight with a bear." Dani mentioned.

"Dani." Danny hissed. She shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Well I did." She pouted. The bell for the store dinged as a young girl came in, looking nervous.

"Hey Connie." Steven called. She visibly calmed and smiled.

"Hey Steven." Steven moved in front of the counter and spread his arms.

"This is my family and their friends. Dani, with an I, Danny, Sam and Tucker is in the bathroom." Connie nodded.

"I'm guessing dinner went well?" Steven nodded. "That's good. I wanted to go to the park today, but..." She looked over at the older kids.

"That's fine. You two can take Dani. Me and my friends will figure something out." Danny told her. Connie smiled gratefully. The younger children left, leaving Sam and Danny to stand awkwardly in the store. "So does anything exciting ever happen around here?" Lars and Sadie shared a look.

"No." Lars said. "Last thing that happened was Beach a Palooza. There's pretty much nothing else for the summer." Tucker exited the bathroom and Danny quickly entered.

"Where did the little ones go?" He asked, taking out his PDA.

"The park. What you got on the radar?" Sam asked.

"Nothing, what do you want to do today? Movie or arcade?"

"Neither. We can do those things at home."

"There is a bunch of caves nearby if you're into that." Sadie said, grabbing a napkin and sketching a map. Danny came out of the bathroom as she handed it to Sam. "Have a nice day, it was nice meeting you."

"Thanks, you too Sadie." The trio walked out of the store. Danny reached out with his ghost sense to try and find Dani. It was nearby, so he relaxed. Sam showed him the map and explained about the caves.

"Beats doing nothing, let's go." It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the cliffs on the opposite side of town. Looking around to make sure no one was around he prepared to transform into Phantom. A tingle ran up his spine and he stopped.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked. Danny shook his head and began to climb the Cliffside. The nearest cave was only ten feet up. Tucker was the last to enter, complaining about physical activity.

"I had that feeling again. I don't know what it is though." Danny explained, lighting a ectoball in his hand to illuminate the cavern. "The town seems normal enough."

"Are you kidding? This town in not normal, Danny. Garnet didn't know that a thirteen-year-old should not have a lion as a pet."

"And none of his caretakers have any records. Who exactly are they? Why are they all named after rocks?"

"Secret agents maybe? Codenames just like how the GiW go by letters. Steven seems to be hiding some things himself. Lars asked if you and Dani were normal, just you two because you are related to him. His mother died giving birth to him. Maybe Steven really isn't normal." Sam added, a thoughtful look in her eye.

"Are you trying to convince me that my cousin has like superpowers or something?" Danny asked in confusion.

"I wouldn't rule it out. There are no records of Steven being born in any hospital. What I'm thinking though is that his mom was the special one. The painting of her has a gem on her stomach."

"That's a painting. Maybe it is just symbolic of her being pregnant or something. If it was really something don't you think they would have hidden it?" Danny countered. Tucker shrugged.

"They don't seem to know what normal is. His Aunt came in with her hair on fire like it was no big deal." Tucker said, looking further into the cave.

"They don't seem to be hurting anyone at least." Sam admitted. Danny sighed, thinking of how weird his family was.

"So what do we do about it?" Danny asked. "Just go up to him and ask him what gives?"

"Guys! Check this out!" Tucker called from deeper in the cavern, his flashlight waving around. Sam and Danny walked further in, eyes widening.

The whole place seemed to be covered in spider webs made of miniature deep red stones. Danny peered closely at it, twanging one with his finger. The vibration spread through the web, leading higher. Danny heard a scuttling nearby.

"We should leave." He warned, already moving out of the cavern. A figure dropped from above, landing in the middle of the cavern. Four glowing red eyes peered at them. It was a woman, or at least it looked like one, besides the eyes and chunks of black and red gems sticking out of her forehead. She opened her mouth to reveal fangs. It gave a screech that was cut short by an ectoblast to the chest. "Run!" The trio ran towards the opening of the cave, the creature running behind them, shooting out webs from its wrists. Danny's eyes turned ice blue as he shot back several ice blasts. She dodged them quickly, jumping from wall to wall. Sam pulled a weapon from Danny's backpack and shot at the ceiling. She stopped, looking up in confusion. A stalagmite dropped and she disappeared in a puff of smoke. The gem shards clattered at their feet. Tucker grabbed a containment cube and placed it inside.

"Whatever this is, let's hope it's not stronger than a ghost." Tucker commented, peering at it through the translucent green walls.

"You should grab the webbing too." Sam told Danny, handing him a larger containment cube. Danny grabbed it from her and phased through the blockade of stone. He returned a moment later, kneeling to put the cube in his backpack. He swung his backpack back over his shoulder.

"This just gets weirder and weirder." Danny muttered as he climbed down. He saw Amethyst walking towards them, and waved. The girl ran over.

"Hey guys. Did you go up to the caves?" She asked. Tucker dropped down next to Danny.

"Uh, yeah. Sadie mentioned them so we came to check it out. Boring." Danny said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. Amethyst eyed him suspiciously, since Greg did the same thing whenever he lied.

"Uh huh." Sam dropped down.

"So I heard there is an arcade." She said casually. Amethyst looked over at her but nodded, turning to lead the way.

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

The sun had started to set, and the trio reunited with the younger children. Amethyst hung behind the group as they walked home, having said goodbye to Connie. The trio kept whispering to each other, but what they were saying made no sense. She absentmindedly scratched at her face, the makeup bothering her. Her hand moved down to her covered gem. As soon as she had gotten close to the cave she had felt a vibration passing through it. It had been intense enough for her to back off for fear of her gem shattering. She could only imagine what Pearl would say once she admitted she didn't know what happened to the trio in the cave.

Once inside she motioned to Garnet and Pearl that she needed to talk with them. Pearl walked to the temple immediately. Amethyst rummaged through the fridge to buy herself time. Dani and Steven were looking through the board games looking for one they could all play. Tucker was typing away at his PDA, with occasional interjections from Danny or Sam. Garnet walked over to them.

"Your parents were here earlier. They have gone with Greg to the next town for parts. You will stay here tonight." Danny nodded while Dani and Steven cheered. Garnet gave a nod in return and walked to the temple.

"Yo S-man. I'll be in my room if you need anything." Amethyst told Steven before heading to the temple. Garnet and Pearl were waiting for her on the steps of the warp pad.

"Did you find anything about Danny today?" Pearl asked. Amethyst rubbed her arm.

"Yes and no." she admitted.

'You lost him didn't you?" Pearl asked. Amethyst bristled.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault. The caves at the other end of town are sending off some sort of vibration. It was gonna crack my gem!"

"All of the caves or just the one they entered?" Garnet asked.

"All of them, but it was strongest around the one they went into. I heard explosions and a loud screech. I thought they were in trouble, but they all came out fine, saying nothing happened." Garnet frowned.

"We need to check those caves. They might give us some clue as to what occurred." She decided, standing up. "If there is a corrupted gem out there we need to stop it."

"When are we going to leave?" Pearl asked.

"Now." Garnet answered, leaving the temple to inform Steven. She smiled softly to herself when she saw Steven playing Kitchen Kalamity with the others. She walked over and crouched down, whispering to Steven. Steven nodded, while Danny eyed them suspiciously. Garnet walked back to the door. Just before entering she turned. "Oh, Steven, one more thing!" Steven looked up. Garnet made a heart shape with her hands. "I love you." Steven blushed and waved away the praise as she entered the temple.

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

Steven hummed to himself as he made soup for everyone. Dani was searching through his cabinets looking for enough bowls for everyone. It started to rain outside, the droplets pattering against the roof.

"Wow, that's really coming down." Steven observed, pausing his stirring to look out the window. There was loud crack of thunder and the bathroom door burst open, putting Danny and his friends on alert.

"It's happening!" A small green figure bemoaned. Steven turned in alarm, even as Danny and his friends dove for their weapons.

"What?!"

"THE CLUSTER!" She answered, giving a yelp as a ectoblast hit the wall next to her. She ran over to Steven, hiding behind him. Steven's eyes widened.

"Really?" Danny, Sam and Tucker spread out around Steven and the green woman, their weapons humming lowly.

"Get away from him!" Danny commanded, his weapon raised. Steven winced slightly as tiny fingers grabbed him tightly.

"What else could be making that horrible noise. It's pounding on the Earth from the inside." She said quickly, her eyes darting between the three guns. "THIS IS IT. THE END OF THE WORLD!" she warned. Dani slowly crept up on the pair before tackling the small woman.

"Wait no!" Steven cried, pulling Dani off.

"Steven, please. I need you to move away from the ghost as quickly as you can." Sam told him gently, her own weapon trained on the diminutive figure.

"Ghost?" The thing said with confusion. "I am a gem!" She stated standing up and stamping her foot. Worry overcame her once more. "Not that it matters if you kill me now. This dumb planet is doomed anyway!"

"This is Peridot." Steven explained, since he could find no way around it. "She's an alien...sorta." Steven turned to her. "Peridot, calm down, it's just thunder."

"What?" She asked with a sneer and a raised eyebrow. "If you would please lower your weapons, not that I think they will actually work against a gem." Danny reluctantly lowered his gun, Sam and Tucker following suit.

"Thunder, it happens when it rains." Dani explained as if it were obvious. Peridot crossed her arms, edging away from Dani.

"Uh-huh."

"So you were keeping an alien in your bathroom?" Danny asked in confusion.

"Well yeah." Steven admitted.

"I went pee in the ocean earlier!" Tucker complained. Steven gave an apologetic chuckle.

"So not a ghost." Danny clarified, looking at both Steven and Sam. Steven shook his head no. The danger having passed, Sam looked at her watch.

"Not a ghost." Another crack of thunder when off and Peridot flinched.

"Don't you know about rain?" Steven asked her. Peridot clenched her fists, looking down in shame.

"...I don't know anything without my screens." She whispered. Danny gave a sigh and put his weapon away, deciding that whatever this thing really was, it was not a threat.

"It's okay." Steven assured. "Here pretend this soup is the ocean. When the sun warms it up, it evaporates into clouds, like this steam." Steven explained, lifting the lid. "But when the clouds get really heavy, it rains."

"So scalding liquid pours down from the sky?"

"No, it's just water it can't hurt you. Here let me show you." Steven walked over to the door and opened it. He stuck his hand outside. Dani grinned and tagged him before running out. Steven laughed and chased after her.

"Steven wait!" She cried in alarm. She glanced back at the trio nervously.

"This is just something that happens on Earth." Sam explained in the same voice she used on imprisoned animals. Peridot hesitantly moved to the doorway, sticking her hand out. "Isn't this cool!" Steven called out before Dani threw a ball of mud at him. Peridot stepped outside, letting the rain wash over her. Tears appeared in her eyes.

"Cool." She whispered. She flinched slightly as Danny ran past her and over the railing with a holler of joy. Dani gave a playful scream as her brother started to chase her. Sam came to stand next to Peridot as Danny scooped up his sister and cousin, posing so they were sitting on his biceps. He grinned, and Steven waved at Peridot. She shyly waved back.

"You could go too you know." Sam told her. Peridot lifted her hand to her gem.

"My gem could crack." Sam looked over at her abruptly, having completely missed the green gem on her face. Her gem was smooth and a singular piece, unlike the thing they had fought at the caves. _'Their gems cracking must make them corrupted, just like ghosts. She really does seem harmless._ ' "I am used to having my limb enhancers. They let me create shields or weapons to protect myself." Peridot admitted. Sam looked back at the beach, where the three had taken off their shoes.

"Danny wouldn't let you get hurt. He's a good guy. All he wants to do is protect the people he cares about. We're sorry about earlier." Peridot scratched her face.

"I suppose I will accept your apology, but only because you are friends with Steven, and not one of those Crystal Gems." Peridot peered through the bars of the railing before nodding to herself and rushing down the stairs.

"Do you think what we have is a so called Crystal Gem?" Tucker asked from right inside the doorway where he sat playing with his PDA.

"Maybe, but I don't know if we should ask." Sam responded as Danny grabbed Peridot and placed her on his shoulders. She gave a cackle and rejoiced at being tall.

"Peridot is a type of rock too you know." Tucker commented. "They aren't secret agents, they're aliens." Steven attempted to balance Dani on his shoulder's the pair falling face first into the mud, making Danny and Peridot laugh. "Which means..."

"So is Steven." Sam finished. "Do we tell Danny?" Tucker put down his PDA and stepped outside, watching his best friend.

"I'm sure he'll figure it out eventually." Tucker said, leaning on the railing. "We're not going to be around forever, when do you think he'll notice that he isn't aging as fast as us?"

"It will probably take a few years." She said with a bittersweet laugh. "I just don't understand why Clockwork won't let us tell him."

"He's our best friend. How would you feel knowing that me and Danny were going to die years before you? Let's just let him have this." He answered. Danny dove into the ocean as the other three gained on him.

"Cheater! You know I can't swim." Dani shouted. Danny stuck out his tongue while pulling down an eyelid. Sam hugged herself.

"Yeah..."

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

"Well that was fun." Steven said as he dried his face off with a towel.

"It was." Peridot agreed. "Hmm, ehhh, hmm Steven."

"Yeah?" Peridot looked at the others and dragged Steven to the kitchen.

"I'm going to say something." Peridot paused and took a deep breath. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For explaining this rain business to me. Also for keeping the humans from harming me."

"Oh no problem." Steven said with a giggle.

"Yes, you are much more intelligent creature than I initially thought." Peridot said, placing her hand on her chin in thought.

"Uh, that's good?" Steven asked.

"Yes, much more useful that those...clods." She muttered. "STEVEN! I've made up my mind."

"About what exactly?" Danny asked, leaning over the counter. A green hue appeared on her cheeks. She cleared her throat.

"I suppose you could know as well; you have proven to be a useful human being. But no one else!" Peridot smoothed her hair. "I've decided to share some information with you."

"Aw, that's okay. I know you use my toothbrush." Steven said. Peridot blinked at him.

"N-no, well yes, but it's about the cluster." Steven gasped.

"You've cracked!" Peridot's hands shot up to her gem in surprise.

"I haven't cracked!" She argued.

"What is this cluster? You said earlier it was going to destroy Earth, maybe this is something you should share with everyone." Danny told her.

"No! Steven is the only one I want to talk to. You are lucky that I allow you to listen at all! I can show you now, but I have nothing! My arm attachments, my fingers, my screens, my logs! It's all gone. But all my logs up to date 652 are backed up at facet five of the Kindergarten." Peridot explained.

"You want me to take you to the Kindergarten? I don't know..." Danny stared at the little gem quizzically.

"Steven," Danny said slowly, not looking away from Peridot. "don't you want to know about the cluster?"

"Hmm...okay. I will take Peridot to the Kindergarten." Peridot squealed in joy, jumping up and down. "But..." Danny raised an eyebrow at this.

"No...a catch. Fine! What are your demands?"

"You're gonna have to hold my hand the whole time." Steven told her, holding out his hand. Peridot grumbled to herself before grabbing his hand. Steven turned to Danny. "You need to stay here. We will be right back."

"Where are you going?" Danny asked, trying to put as much authority into his voice as possible. Steven seemed to struggle.

"I can't tell you. I've been there before, I'll be okay." Steven promised. Danny nodded. As soon as the two were through the door he went invisible and followed them, knowing his friends would figure out what he was doing.

 **LINE BREAK LNIE BREAK LINE BREAK**

"There, the shield is down." Garnet said. Amethyst transformed into an owl and flew up to the cave that she had seen the trio go into earlier. Pearl and Garnet followed, merely leaping up to the opening. Amethyst was already at work, trying to clear the blockade.

"And you're sure these noises you heard weren't just this stalagmite?" Pearl asked. Amethyst didn't turn to look at her.

"Last time I checked, stalagmites don't screech." She said with annoyance. Once the way was clear Garnet stepped through, surveying the cavern. It was completely empty. Pearl made a small noise of curiosity, touching the walls of the cavern. "I don't get it!"

"There is residue on this wall. I can't identify it." Garnet walked over, swiping a finger across the green burn. Her purple eye flickered. She gasped.

"Steven."

 **A/N**

 **Wow so all the stories got a ton of attention. So all of them will be updated at least once a month. Warning now that this will deviate from canon storyline as Summer of Steven really threw me off. I will attempt to fix some things but some scenes will remain the same.**

 **Also quick shout out to Lilyqz, you're awesome, and I promise Danny Fenton: Paranormal Hunter will be updated very soon.**

 **will be updated bi-monthly n attention. So all of them will be updated bi-motnhly.**


	3. Back to Basics

**Chapter 3; Back to the Basics**

 **A/N: I really like this one,**

Danny barely managed to hold back a gasp of surprise once he phased through the wooden door that led to the temple. The room seemed to be carved right into the cliff side, glittering with shines of purple and blue. At the center was a circular pad that seemed to be made of a type of glass. Steven and Peridot stepped onto the device, Danny hovering right behind them. It came to life with a burst of light, a pillar of energy growing upwards. A tingle ran down Danny's spine. The displacement made him a bit dizzy, and he did not notice the other two walk straight off the cliff until they began to shout. Shaking away his confusion, he dove after them, still invisible, and grabbed the back of their shirts, slowing their descent. He dropped them once they were inches from the ground. Peridot groaned in pain. Steven weakly lifted his arm to grab her hand.

While the two recovered from their fall, Danny took a quick look around. Ginormous cliff sides, completely covered in caves. Danny flew closer to one of the caves, running his hand over the edge. He felt an unease settle in his stomach as he realized that all the holes were vaguely human shaped. Behind him he heard Peridot and Steven finally get up.

"This place just gets worse every time I come here." Steven commented, looking around with the faintest look of regret. Danny stared at the large contraption that resembled all the drawings he had ever seen in school of a virus. Peridot made a small noise of agreement.

"I know, it's been so poorly managed. It must have been in way better shape when you emerged." She said off-handedly. _'Emerged_.' Danny echoed in his mind, looking again at the holes that surrounded them. Hundreds, upon thousands of them.

"Emerged?" Steven questioned, as if the concept where completely foreign to him.

"Yeah, you're some type of quartz, right? You must have been made here." Danny froze in place. _'Is she implying that Steven is like her? Or does she really know nothing about humans?'_

"Uh...I came from my mom and dad." Steven corrected. Distantly Danny heard the shifting of rocks. He looked over his shoulder to see if anything was close by.

"What are those some type of rocks? Other planets?" Danny had subconsciously started to float forward, following the two even as he looked behind him. He ran into one of the Kindergarten machines, making it quiver just the slightest bit. Steven noticed and wrapped his hand a little tighter around Peridot's.

"Peridot, I think there is something here." Peridot swept her gaze to their immediate surroundings.

"Let's just hurry to the control room." Peridot insisted, picking up the pace.

"Are you sure this is safe? The last time I was here, there was a bunch of fusion monsters." Steven asked, stumbling slightly. Danny's mind briefly flashed back to the thing in the cave.

"Yes, I was checking their progress." Peridot confirmed. Danny heard a noise behind them once more and stopped. He debated leaving the two to have a quick look. It seemed however that they had finally arrived to where they needed to be.

"What's with those things anyway?" ' _That's what I'd like to know.'_ Danny seconded. There was a lot of things that he needed answers to.

"Once we decided Earth wasn't a viable planet, Homeworld decided to use it as a testing field. For a gem geo-weapon if you will."

"Oh, did you help?" Danny looked at him incredulously. _'How are you not freaking out about this?'_

"Negative. I was not around for that. But I have read over a hundreds years worth of reports. Thousands even. There is one more experiment that Homeworld had started here. They lost control over it though, I was hoping to find out what had happened, but without my limb enhancers I'm sure it's impossible."

"You mean there is more, besides the cluster?" Steven asked, nervousness creeping into his voice.

"Oh yes. This was started even before the war. They were trying to harness a strange energy here on Earth to make a race of supersoldiers. It gave them real bodies, not the highly advanced projections we normal gems use. Imagine a gem you couldn't poof away. Here's the best part, their gems were on the inside, almost impossible to crack!" Peridot said with admiration in her eyes.

"What happened to them?" Peridot frowned heavily.

"They stopped listening to Homeworld. The reports says they were destroyed, but I don't think they were. I mean, they are nearly indestructible." Peridot tried to pry off the panel nearby while both Steven and Danny felt a new bound fear creep within them. "That however, is not our priority." She grunted. She gave up and bemoaned their inevitable death.

"Here let me try." Steven said, gripping the panel. He pulled it off in a swift motion.

"Woah!" Peridot exclaimed. She quickly began to rearrange wires, the room they were in finally coming to life.

 **DPSUDPSU DPSUDPSU DPSUDPSU**

Garnet was sprinting towards the house, the warp pad they had used to far out of the way for her liking. Behind her, Amethyst was barely keeping up in the form of a cheetah. Pearl opted instead to follow in a series of long jumps. She had not explained anything to either of them, the shock causing her to leap from the cavern like a madwoman. The sun was creeping downwards with every step, the people of Beach City closing up shop for the day. The ground beneath them changed from concrete to mud, causing Amethyst to slip and crash. Pearl landed a bit too forcefully, and gave a grunt of frustration as she tried to free her feet fro the mud. Garnet continued to sprint, using the extremely limited ice powers she had from Sapphire to make the mud solid beneath her. A purple eagle and light blue dove flew ahead of her, urging her to move faster.

She burst through the front entrance, the door hitting the wall with a loud smack. Dani gave a small scream, hiding behind Sam and Tucker who had their weapons drawn. The two birds transformed back to their human bodies, standing behind their imposing leader. The seconds seemed to tick by like hours, the two teens evaluating the aliens before them, even as the same was done to them. At last Garnet called forth her gauntlets with a clink. Tucker took a small step back, but Sam did not waver.

"Where is Steven?" Garnet demanded.

"Are these your true forms? Are you the same Garnet?" Sam countered. Briefly Garnet felt a small spark of respect for the girl, knowing she would not give up information to just anyone. At the moment, however, there was no time for such nonsense.

"Yes." She gritted out. The gun in her hands hummed with life.

"Prove it."

"I told Steven I loved him before I left today. Now where is he!?"

 **DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU**

Danny was still lost in his thoughts after having discovered a monster larger than the Earth was bound to escape at any moment. Peridot had tried in vain to convince Steven that the two of them together could stop such a thing from emerging, but Steven at least knew his limits. He was looking at all the holes they passed, when Steven mentioned something called the Crystal Gems. Before he could gather what exactly those were, a large mutant sent a rock into a nearby wall with a mighty swing.

"Oh no! Gem mutants!" Steven cried, preparing to create a bubble around himself and Peridot. A green dome popped into existence just moments before his gem started to glow. The mutant slammed down on the dome. "Peridot are you doing this?" Steven asked. She shook her head no. More gem mutants began to show up, trying to crack the dome. Danny was kneeling invisibly by this point, the strain becoming too much. With a sigh of frustration he let himself become visible as Phantom. Steven and Peridot both jumped at his sudden appearance. His glowing green eyes pierced them.

"A supersoldier!" Peridot exclaimed. Phantom ignored her, counting the number of creatures on the other side of the dome. He recognized the assembly of random shards, and wondered why the one from the caves had appeared more human than these.

"How do I stop them?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"You gotta poof them." Steven told the stranger.

"Once the dome is down, run to the corner and stay behind me." Phantom told him. He let his dome grow into an outward blast, knocking the mutants to the ground. Steven ran, dragging Peridot along. Phantom shot out a few ectobolts, faintly hearing the warp pad come to life in the distance.

 **DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU**

Garnet and the others appeared on the platform, immediately covering their ears. In the distance she could see the green shockwaves being aimed at several mutants.

"What is that horrible noise?" Pearl shouted. "GARNET!" Garnet had begun to convulse, almost appearing as if her form was glitching. Her visor came off and they could see her purple eye rolling uncontrollably, the red and blue closed tightly, tears pouring from them.

It was madness, what she was seeing. A blur of images, with the prophecy being screeched at her. The cry of a thousand lost souls piercing the air, even as she saw herself holding baby Steven. It could not be Steven, she would not believe it. She could hear Pearl and Amethyst calling for her, confusion in their voices. The wail continued, causing her to sob loudly. It could not be Steven, she would not believe it. She would not. She refused.

The wail died suddenly, and she could hear her companions crying her name in fear. Gradually her eye stopped its insistent rolling, the other two opening slowly. Amethyst held out her visor to her, showing that it was cracked beyond repair. Garnet waved it away.

"Let's go."

 **DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU**

Phantom gripped his knees in exhaustion but concentrated on not changing back. He turned around. Steven was rubbing at his ears, while Peridot was staring at him with pure admiration. "Are you both okay?"

"Yeah..." Steven said, looking at the scattered gem shards. "We should probably bubble those."

"He knows that Steven. Show him some respect." Peridot scolded, hands on her hips. She turned back to Phantom. "Look out!" Phantom turned right as Garnet threw a powerful punch. He was launched towards the nearby cave wall with a thud. He winced, blearily opening his eyes as his attacker charged. Her three eyes were filled with fury. He powered up his own and sent a powerful eye blast at her. She leapt backwards, giving him time to dislodge himself from the wall. He was too weak to use his wail again. He searched for the mutants gem shards but could not find them. Two more came forward, but their gems were a singular piece like Peridot.

"Amethyst?" He questioned, the purple one looking very much like Steven's aunt. She shifted into a large bear. "Shifter, great." The maroon one charged again, electricity crackling over her gauntlets. Phantom's eyes bled into an ice blue glow. "You need to chill out." An ice blast flew towards her, hitting her in the chest. She froze over within seconds. The other two ran forward as a unit. The pale one pulled a spear out of her gem, throwing it at him even as she produced another one. Phantom put up a shield, causing the weapon to shatter. The bear gave a loud growl as it pounced. Phantom swung around and gave a solid kick to the face, sending it back. "Seems you aren't smarter than the average bear." he jipped. He gave a cry of pain as the remaining gem sliced his arm.

"You are over confident and that shall be your downfall!" She declared. Phantom laughed, creating a sword of unbreakable ice.

"Care to dance, ballerina?" he taunted. She gave a shout and attacked. Their weapons connected repeatedly, the gem becoming more angered with each blow that her opponent deflected. A purple eagle swooped in, ripping Phantom's sword from his grip. He gulped when he felt the wall behind him. The gem smiled and prepared to plunge her spear through him. He turned intangible and passed through her. She turned in alarm.

"How-" Phantom winked at her and released the ectoball he had in his hand. She looked down at the gaping whole in her midsection in horror, poofing out of existence a moment later. Phantom was pitched forward as a cheetah pounced on his back, claws raking through his suit. He continued the roll, throwing the animal off of him. It shifted back to look like Steven's aunt, extracting a long whip from her chest. Phantom saw Steven rush towards the gem he had just defeated. The whip came flying at him. He grabbed the end as it was inches from his face.

"That all you got?" She asked, sending a wave of purple electricity down the line. Phantom was thrown back by the shock. He landed in a puddle, arms still twitching. ' _Wait...puddle_?' He rolled to the side, the gauntlet creating a small crater in the ground. He quickly stood only to be hit in the side by a powerful crocodile tail. The whip followed, slicing at his side, green dripping to the ground. Phantom swore under his breath. He took to the sky, using it to his advantage. The taller gem picked up the purple and launched her at him. She transformed into a mace ball. He distorted his body and she passed through him, swirling into a large bird. She dive bombed him as he heard the whistle of small rockets behind him. He turned intangible and dropped through the ground. The rocket gauntlets hit the shifter head on, causing her to poof. From inside one of the caves, Phantom watched as Steven gave a small shout and ran to catch the gem, Peridot close behind, holding the white gem. '

 _I need to finish this before Steven gets hurt_.' The two fighters thought simultaneously.

"Come out you coward!" The gem shouted. Phantom shot out of the cave. The gem lifted an arm to block his punch at the last second. Phantom did not let this stop him and let ice spread over her arm. She hastily stopped touching him. She spun to give a kick to his side, which he blocked with a small shield that cracked upon impact. He sent several icicles flying at her, and she bounded backwards, right into the large spike of ice he had created. Her hands touched the ice poking through her chest in disbelief before two gems clattered to the ground.

"That was amazing!" Peridot cheered, while Steven gave a horrified scream. He rushed over and grabbed the two gems, cradling them gingerly.

"Why did you do that!?" Phantom looked at him in confusion.

"I was protecting you." He answered.

"This was my family!" he cried. The gems clinked together softly as he hugged them close.

"They will regenerate. You know that right?" Peridot asked Steven. Steven sniffled and nodded. He suddenly looked up at Phantom with a hard look in his eyes.

"Did you?"

"Well of course he-"

"No. I didn't. I really thought they were going to hurt you." Phantom told him. Steven begrudgingly accepted this answer. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't know. They will be back soon" Steven admitted.

"Steven, secrets at a time like this is a good way to make sure you lose." Phantom told him. "Please let your family know I did not mean to hurt them." Steven nodded, and Phantom faded out of visibility. He waited on the warp pad for the two to activate it. Once they were back in the temple he phased into the bathroom and changed back.

Danny stared at the mirror in confusion. Steven regarded gems as his family, but he stated he did not emerge like Peridot thought he did. Was the shifter really Steven's aunt, and not just a copy? Why did the mutant not have any visible gem shards? Why had Peridot called him one of the supersoldiers she had discussed? He heard the door of the temple creak open, and he exited the bathroom, acting as if he had no idea what had happened at the Kindergarten.

"Steven? What's wrong?" Sam asked, getting up from her seat. He wordlessly presented the gems. "Is that Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst?" she asked sorrowfully. Danny gave her a suspicious look, yet another question added to the many he did not have answers to.

"Yes, it is the Crystal Clods, but do not worry. They will return." Peridot informed them. "They mistakenly got into a battle with a supersoldier. Though I must admit that the permafusion did put up quite a fight."

"We need to tell you guys some things. The soldier said keeping secrets could make us lose against the cluster."

"We should wait until the rest of the aliens come back." Tucker told him.

"That could take weeks!" Peridot exclaimed. "The cluster is a problem now."

"Does your dad know you had alien nannies?" Sam asked Steven. Steven nodded. "And..." Sam shot a glance at Danny whom she suspected knew she and Tucker had kept information from him. "Are you like them?" Steven lifted his shirt to show a pink gem.

"But I'm human too." he added. His eyes watered. "And it's hard sometimes, because I'm not really a gem, or a human. Everyone wants to hide things from me so I don't feel left out or different, but then bad things like this happen and I can't even help!" He hugged the gems in his arms tightly. Dani was the first to move forward.

"Hey, Steven. It's okay. Sometimes life is scary. All you can do is your best." She was about to mention her own status as a halfa, but a quick glance at Danny told her this was a bad idea at the time.

"And the best we can do now is figure this mess out before Mom and Dad get back." Danny added.

"Why can't Aunt Maddie and Uncle Jack know?" Steven asked as he carefully arranged each gem on a pillow.

"They...they just can't."

"The soldier said that secrets would make us lose."

"I know what I said." Danny blurted. Everyone froze.

"What do you mean, what you said?" Steven asked suspiciously.

"Danny...did you do this to Steven's family?" Sam asked, a bit of fear in her voice. Danny felt himself crack.

"Yes, but I didn't know!"

"Amethyst looks virtually the same, how can you not know?" Tucker accused.

"I thought it was just a shifter!" Danny defended. His panic turned to anger. "Don't look at me like I'm the bad guy here. You guys knew about Steven and you didn't tell me. I thought we were a team!"

"Are we? Why didn't you take us with you then? Instead we sat here wondering where the hell the three of you had gone." Tucker shouted back.

"There was no time! I didn't know if it would be safe for you guys." Danny retorted.

"Safe for us? Safe for us!" Sam yelled, looking offended. "We can take care of ourselves Danny. How many times did I and Tucker save you from making stupid mistakes?"

"They would have turned you to pulp!" Danny yelled back, his face going red.

"No, they wouldn't have. They only tried to hurt you because they didn't recognize you." Tucker said poking him in the chest. "If you weren't playing hero boy they would have seen you and helped you all."

"You're just jealous that you don't have any powers." Danny hissed out. He shoved Tucker away from him, but in his anger had used his ghost force. Tucker flew towards the wall, his head connecting with a loud crack. All the anger in the room dissolved at once. "Tucker?" Sam rushed to Tucker's side, helping him sit up. Her hand came away with blood. Danny took a step towards them.

"Don't you dare come any closer." Sam commanded. "Steven, Dani, Dot, come here." The three smaller occupants rushed to her side. Danny swallowed thickly, gazing at each one in turn. Tucker was dazed, and bleeding from his head. Sam was glaring at him accusingly. Dani had fear in her eyes. Fear directed towards him, something he had never seen before. Peridot was attempting to help Sam with Tucker, but just seemed lost. Steven...he was just staring, his hand covering his gem.

 _ **I'm inevitable**_

Danny ran past them, pretending not to notice them flinch. The door fell shut with a snap, even as it began to rain again.

 **DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU DPSU**

"This is bad." Sam said in a forced whisper, once she had finished cleaning away the blood. More red had already begun to seep out the moment she took away the rag. "It's cracked." she said with a small sob. Steven looked up from his vigilance of the gems.

"Cracked...oh! OH! I have healing spit!" Steven exclaimed, clamoring next to them. He licked the palm of his hand and placed it against Tucker's wound. He waited a few moments and pulled away his hand. Nothing had happened. Sam hugged him.

"It's alright Steven. You tried."

"No, it's not alright. If my mom was still here, none of this would be happening." Steven looked over at the temple door. "That's it. We have to take him to my mom's fountain. Her tears can fix this!" Sam looked down at Tucker.

"Steven. I don't know if Tucker can make it very far."

"We have to try!" Steven cried. Behind him one of the gems began to glow brightly. Steven turned, watching in awe as Sapphire reformed herself, landing on the pillow with a small thump. "Sapphire! Is Tucker going to be okay?"

"I see futures with this outcome yes." She looked over at the red gem that lay dormant on the pillow beside her, the room temperature dropping several degrees. "I will go alone to retrieve the tears. Keep him awake." In a blink of an eye she was past them and at the door of the temple. "I love you." She said, but to whether it was to Ruby or Steven was unclear.

"Who was that?" Sam asked. Steven sat on the cushion next to Ruby's gem.

"That was Sapphire. She is half of Garnet."

"Who's the other half?" Dani asked.

"Ruby. They are a fusion. All gems can fuse, but they always stay fused. They like being Garnet."

"We saw a fusion, right Tucker?" Sam said, trying to engage Tucker in the conversation. Tucker pointed to Danny's backpack. Dani went over and pulled out one of the containment cubes.

"Why does it look like that?" Dani asked. Peridot took it from her, giving a small hmm.

"Oh, this was one of my favorites. Very well developed. A Rubellite and an Agate. One of the simpler ones, tourmaline and a quartz." Peridot explained. "They did balance each other quite well, I can only imagine what a natural fusion of the two could do."

"You knew about this?" Sam asked. "A force fusion? That sounds horrible."

"It was not my idea. I merely watched over them."

"Do you know how to separate them?" Sapphire asked as she appeared. She floated over to Tucker and slowly poured the bottle of tears over his head. He gave a pained scream as the bone began to reset. Peridot watched in a fascinated horror.

"You want to fix the shards." Peridot said. Sapphire merely looked at her. "I could, but I would need some things. Why do you want to fix them? I doubt you will find all the pieces."

"We alone will not be enough to stop this."

"We should be fine with a supersoldier on our side." Peridot said, crossing her arms. Steven gave a small squeal as the purple gem next to him began to glow. Amethyst reformed, her hair slightly more erratic than usual.

"All right! Where is that punk? He is so dead!" She said, cracking her summoned whip.

"Amethyst please calm down." Amethyst looked over and smiled when she saw Sapphire.

"Hey, hey! Very long time no see." Amethyst said, hugging the small gem. "You and Ruby got the punk then right?"

"No, he managed to outsmart us. However, seeing as Steven and Peridot arrived safely with all of our gems, there must be something we are missing."

"He said he was sorry." Steven piped in. "He said he was only trying to protect me."

"He was a supersoldier, he was only following his basic protocol. I wonder what type of gem he is. What if he is a Peridot like me! His blasts were green." Peridot frowned. "But he also had ice. Perhaps a blue Sapphire, like yourself."

"And if he were a fusion?" Sapphire asked, though she doubted it and in reality had no clue what a supersoldier was meant to be. Peridot spluttered in indignantly.

"Please, what use would there be for a Peridot and a Sapphire to fuse. Totally separate types."

"Didn't you just say the tourmaline and quartz fusion was a good one?" Sam asked, feeling as if she were beginning to get the feel for the alien dynamic.

"That is different. They didn't have a reason to fuse, they were forced to." All this time the newly revitalized Tucker was typing away at his PDA.

"Are your leaders diamonds?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes. Homeworld is run by three diamonds." Peridot said, trying to look at his screen. He tilted it away.

"Are Sapphire's important?" He asked.

"Sapphires act as diamond advisors. Let me see your screens. I can help. I was made for this." She said, twisting around him.

"Are Rubies important too?" Tucker asked, standing up and holding his PDA above his head.

"Yes! Personal bodyguards. Let me see!" Tucker finally handed over his PDA, to the triumphant Peridot.

"How did you learn all that? I had thought you irrelevant." Sapphire asked.

"Well, we have gems here on Earth too, non sentient, at least I hope." Understanding dawned on Sam's face.

"The level of hardness." She said. Peridot nodded.

"That is correct. While a fusion may be a good idea for a quick battle, staying permanently fused is just...just, a disgrace! You are weakening strong gems."

"Where do I fall?" Amethyst asked suddenly. Tucker plucked his PDA back. She never got her answer however, as another gem began to glow.

"Sapphire?" Sapphire smiled.

"Ruby!" The two small gems were quick to embrace each other. Ruby lifted Sapphire and spun them around, the gems on their hands glowing as they laughed. Garnet formed in front of them, swiping her hand over her eyes to create a visor.

"We are getting off topic. Peridot, can you separate the gem shards?"

"Not here on Earth. Why don't you try those tears on them, maybe it can fix them enough to separate?" She suggested. "I still think you are wasting your time. We need the supersoldiers then we can stop the cluster."

"Where is Danny?" Amethyst asked, causing Garnet to look around. Sam looked down at the floor.

"We got into a fight. He ran off after he shoved me." Tucker said, feeling guilty for the things he said to him.

"You received your life threatening injury from him?" Garnet asked, masking her shock.

"I hit my head on the wall." Tucker stated, dodging the question.

"Guys..." Steven interrupted. "Can we please wait for Pearl?" Garnet nodded and they all sat in silence. After Peridot continuously looking over his shoulder, Tucker sighed and pulled out an older PDA to give to her. Peridot took Steven by the hand and brought him upstairs, whispering to him, and showing him things on the screen. Dani squirmed in her seat.

"I'm going to go look for Danny." She announced.

"Dani, I don't know if..." Sam trailed off, noticing the look on Dani's face. It revealed pure anguish at seeing her hero reduced to a monster.

"I know you guys see me as someone who needs to be protected from the scary things in life..." Dani started, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "But I used to BE one of those scary things. You can't erase the past by claiming I am now Dani Fenton, because deep down Dani Masters still exists. In the end Danny will be the only thing I have left, good or bad."

"What do you mean, in the end?" Sam asked her, guilt creeping into her voice. "You will always have us too." Dani gave her a hard stare.

"I know that we age slower Sam. Vlad told me." She told her, even as the white gem behind them began to glow. "Vlad is the bad guy here, not us. Danny would throw himself into a volcano before intentionally hurting any of you. How do you repay him? By keeping secrets? By turning on each other?" Pearl touched down on the floor with an easy grace, feeling the tension in the room. "I will not be the bad guy again. Danny is a part of me. Whatever you are worried will happen to him, can happen to me too."

"What happens to Daniel?" Garnet asked, looking over at Sam.

"It is not something I can say."

"Danny said we can't keep secrets." Steven said, standing up. Peridot laughed.

"No, no. You're confused. The supersoldier is the one who said that." Pearl stiffened.

"A supersoldier?" she whispered. Amethyst and Garnet turned to her.

"What do you know about this Pearl?" Garnet asked. Pearl got a faraway look in her eyes.

"During the war, Rose warned me about these things. One of each Gem was sent into a strange dimension here on Earth. They wanted to see if this energy would..." She suddenly turned her weapon on Dani. "You're one of them. You were created with this ecto energy weren't you?"

"Pearl no!" Steven cried.

"She cannot be a solider, she is a human." Peridot scoffed, her indifference irking garnet. "A gem can become one if it absorbs all the energy in an instant electrical shock." Sam and Tucker shared a look.

"How are gems made?"

"The appropriate minerals are injected into a viable living environment. It will form and then emerge, creating a body projection."

"What if these minerals were injected into a human body?" Peridot placed a hand to her chin in thought.

"Then, they would be like me." Steven whispered.

"Steven!" Pearl exclaimed, her weapon lowering in her shock.

"We already know that Steven is a halfa." Garnet's eyes snapped to Dani as she heard the word. "I am too." A burst of white light encircled her abdomen, spreading in two separate directions. The outfit she was wearing turned in a combination of silver and black spandex, her eyes becoming a brilliant green and her hair a sparking white. Phantasma, as Dani had named her ghost half after various mix ups between her and her brother, stared up at them defiantly.

"Halfa!" Garnet yelled in anger, standing quickly, her weapons appearing.

"NO!" Steven dove off the ledge as Garnet rushed towards Phantasma. Her gauntlet rebounded off of Steven's shield. The shield fell away in factions, Steven staring up at her with a look she had seen Rose wear before. Garnet desperately tried to place it.

"The time for secrets is over." He said simply. Garnet suddenly remembered that day on the beach when she had first had her vision.

"I-" Garnet prepared her stance. "I need you to move." Pearl moved closer, but stopped short, unsure who she wanted to support. Sam had her gun drawn, but it was not pointed at anyone. Amethyst had Peridot tied up, preventing her from 'protecting the supersoldier'.

Steven looked over his shoulder at Phantasma, who had worry written across her face. When their eyes met, her worry seemed to melt, seeing the look of protectiveness that Danny himself often wore. Steven moved as Garnet had ordered, but he pulled Phantasma with him. The action turned into a twirl, Steven's gem beginning to glow. He tossed her up and once he caught her, the pink light filled the room.

The person who stood in front of them surpassed both Sam and Tucker's height. Garnet stared in a muted awe. One blue eye and one brown eye looked over at her. The figure drew nearer to her, white converse squeaking slightly against the wooden floor. Garnet looked down at where Steven's gem was placed, noticing the slightly off color. It seemed to be a deeper pink than before.

"If you want to get to Dani, you have to get through me." The figure said, moving a silver clad hand from where it rested on a jean covered hip, to point to the center of its chest. The thumb prodded against the new logo the fusion had created, a large D that contained the cutout of a star. He shirt itself was a perfect blend of the two children, the white of Phantasma`s halter top becoming the pink shade of Steven's. The whole look was completed by a sleeveless red hoodie.

"Unfuse now." Garnet commanded. The figure shifted, the light brown bangs slightly covering the brown eye. The blue eye glowed green.

"Make me." It teased, tossing its curly ponytail over its shoulder as it turned to walk away. It opened the door, staring out into the starry night.

"Steven!"

"Dani!"

The figure turned. Garnet and Pearl both had their weapons out, standing near each other. Sam and Tucker had theirs lowered, confusion written across their faces. The figure looked at Amethyst. It closed its eyes for a second as Steven and Dani communicated within its mind.

"Amethyst." It said softly making the purple gem look up. The voice sounded so familiar to the way Rose used to comfort her in the beginning weeks after being discovered in the Kindergarten. Garnet and Pearl also noticed this. The two children were now speaking as one. While Steven always spoke similar to Rose, Dani's feminine tone made the fusion sound exactly like their fallen leader. Garnet felt her eyes tear up behind her visor. "I would appreciate your company in finding Danny." Despite the strange atmosphere in the room, Amethyst allowed a smile to form on her face.

"Yeah, alright." Amethyst walked over, accepting the hug the figure gave her. Pearl gripped her weapon a bit tighter.

"Steven you can't do this!" Pearl cried out.

"Dani, please." Sam pleaded. The figure ignored them, running out the door and over the banister much like Danny had done days before. Amethyst followed with a whoop of approval. She ran along the beach, trying to keep up with the fusion's long strides. The fusion ran faster, leaping into the air, doing a few flips as it stayed airborne. The mismatched eyes stared up at the stars with wonder, arms falling to its side.

"Yo S-Man! I mean, uh..." Amethyst trailed off. The fusion slowly floated back down to the ground, the mood now somber.

"It's Stevasma." It said softly.

"Are you okay?" Amethyst asked it. Stevasma looked down at itself and then back at the stars.

"I'm not sure." It replied, "This is strange, but it is the only way I can make sure that nothing bad happens due to a misunderstanding. Rose told me, Steven I mean, to take care of you guys. He isn't sure he can do it. He wants to, but he also wants to protect his family and friends. Dani shares a lot of the same feelings you did regarding being made. It is why I asked you to come along. I want to be what you guys need most. Brilliant, courageous, and-"

"You sound just like her you know." Amethyst confided. "If I close my eyes, I can swear that you are Rose."

"Rose isn't really gone. She is half of Steven. Every moment that Steven spends loving you, or Pearl or Garnet, it is Rose loving you too."

"That would explain a lot." Amethyst said with a bittersweet laugh. "Do you know what's going on?" Stevasma shook her head.

"Steven, unfuse immediately." Garnet said as she touched down on the beach. No one else had followed. "That girl is dangerous."

"No she isn't!" Came the reply, sounding a bit more like Steven. "We revealed our secrets. Danny said we will lose if we keep secrets from each other."

"Steven-" Garnet leapt back as an ectobolt exploded at her feet. The newer fusion glared at the older, both eyes glowing green.

"My name is Stevasma."

 **Here ya go! Hope you like it. Again most of this story was written before the Winter Steven Bomb in 2015/6, so yes Steven's first fusion was with Dani. For reference, Stevasma prefers the It/Itself pronouns, while Stevonnie prefers They/Themselves. Hopefully I don't mess it up in the furture.**


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